On November 3, 2022, the CDC released updated Clinical Practice Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Pain.

For a person looking to get into the health care field, the first thought might not be about the military. But, through the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), it might just be the start of a medical career

A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated the passage of Senate Bill 225, prior authorization reform in Pennsylvania. What does that mean for your practice? PAMED highlights the major take aways from this prior authorization reform.

In September 2022, the CDC updated their Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. Those recommendations contain masking guidance for health care facilities. In addition, the Pennsylvania Department of Health released PA-HAN 663 – UPDATE: Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the COVID-19 Pandemic, which also addresses masking in health care facilities.

On September 29th, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued an unfavorable ruling in a medical malpractice case in which PAMED had filed an amicus brief.

Earlier this year, PAMED sat down with Representative Joanna McClinton (D – Delaware County, Philadelphia) to learn more her background, serving as the House Democratic Leader, and how she feels about issues affecting patients and physicians in the Pennsylvania. This sit-down interview was conducted as a part of PAMED’s Behind the Scenes Series.

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During a pandemic, when health care is paramount and physicians have been called heroes, the Pennsylvania Medical Society asks lawmakers and bureaucrats to stay out of the exam room. Physicians train for years to be able to provide clinically sound and proven care to their patients. Medical decisions should be between the patient and their health care team

According to Riddhi Shah, M.D., there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to self-care. “For some people its travel or going on a spa day. And other people, it’s taking a day at home to relax, not talk to anyone and put your phone on airplane mode.” For Dr. Shah, writing has been that self-care outlet. She and her colleagues at the ACP created a monthly workshop using narrative medicine to aid with physician wellness.

Every marathon that I ran was a physical ordeal and a desperate challenge to make it to the finish line within the 6-hour course cut-off time. As much as I tried to improve and would have liked to be in the middle of the pack with average marathon runners, I needed to accept that my best effort involved finishing nearly last every time. My most effective tool for coping with pain and exhaustion during a race was to remind myself to be grateful that my family would be waiting for me at the finish line.

You may believe that to be a good physician you must sacrifice your health, your emotional needs, your family, your friends, and a life outside of medicine. This is not true. You can and must have a work/life balance. It’s obviously essential for your own survival and your patient’s safety.

Earlier this year, PAMED sat down with Representative Aaron Kaufer (R – Luzerne) to learn more his background and his role on the Professional Licensure Committee. This sit-down interview was conducted as a part of PAMED’s Behind the Scenes Series.

By Dr. Ed Balaban, Chair of the Board of Trustees ‘Tis the season. Well, maybe not quite THAT season, but it is the season for PAMED to ramp up its call to members for the multitude of initiatives going on this time of year.

Today the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania adopted amendments to the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedures to rescind the 2003 rule governing venue in medical professional liability actions.

PAMED has been informed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) that a provider has voluntarily surrendered their DEA license, which means that provider is currently not able to prescribe controlled substances.